Submitted by: Navadvipa dasa
VEDIC VILLAGE REVIEW #45
August 16, 2015. Adventures in New Jaipur, Prabhupadanuga Farm in Fiji
On the way to the New Jaipur farm in Fiji, Govindapriya, SriGovinda, Radharani stop to pet a horse…
NEW ARRIVALS
After ten months of preparation, and a long time waiting on the not-so-fast wheels of the Fiji
bureaucracy, Braja Prabhu, with wife Govindapriya and daughter Radharani, finally landed in Fiji. They
had flown out of Budapest, Hungary, transiting Europe and Asia, coming non-stop from Hong Kong on
their last leg of the trip. Catching a domestic flight in Nadi on the main island of Viti Levu, they flew 45
minutes to Labasa on our island of Vanua Levu. Sridevi and I greeted them at the airport and
immediately we went… shopping! Of course, only for basic necessities suitable for simple country living.
We showed them a bit of the dusty main street of Labasa, a sugar town of Indians and local
natives which reminds one of a small Indian city. Then we drove two hours across the mountains and
backbone of the island to the wet, green side which receives the prevailing southeast tradewinds.
Stopping twice for stretching our legs, at the spring on the mountain top and at a waterfall called
Nasavu, we drove into the New Jaipur entrance. Passing the water cress, the dalo and kava fields,
crossing the river, through the orchards, along the cliffs and up to the cottages. The bright Jaipur
saffron-orange cottage was for Braja and family- an emotional entrance to their new residence, and
soon the ideas for decorations, modifications, and enhancements began to appear. The views over the
pastures and ocean were partly dimmed by a cloudy, dull first dayin Fiji. After all, it is not always
beautifully sunny here…
After the morning program on the Ashram veranda outside the temple room
THE ORCHARDS
It has been almost five years already since we started planting our fruit trees and orchards here
in New Jaipur. It was the first order of business, even before we had built an access road. The hundreds
of plant pots were loaded onto a hired boat which went down the nearby Yanawai river to the ocean,
down the coast, and up our own little Naiviriviri River. It was high tide. We pulled across gravel shallows,
chopped with machetes fallen trees and low branches, reaching inland as far as we could.
The first tree planted was our
lone longan, a Malaysian fruit. Then
came the rambutans, all kinds of
citrus, tamarind, jackfruit, lychee,
pomegranate, avocados, and much
more. I just went through the two
orchards and took photos of some of
the trees which I’d like to share
below. It is a testament to the fertile
soil and favorable climate that these
orchards are flourishing so well and
quickly. Many are starting to bear,
LYCHEE ON LEFT, SAPADILLO ON RIGHT and more will come in during the next years. Of
course the lemons are already prolific. (BELOW: Pomegranate flower, African Baobab, Mandarine)
LANGSAT CACAO TAMARIND RAMBUTAN
NEAR THE RIVER: BREADFRUIT BRANCHES ON LEFT, DALO (TARO) IN FIELD, CINNAMON ON RIGHT
SEEDLESS LIME (they are green inside) ROWS OF ASSORTED CITRUS, MOSTLY MEYER LEMON
OUR NEW JAIPUR SOLAR FORMULA
BELOW: Krishna Raj, Solarman
Each cottage is being equipped with two PV panels of 245 watts
each and four Trojan 12 volt batteries. An inverter (600 to 1200 watts)
and charge controller will handle a washing machine, a cooler box which
uses only 50 watts, 6 or 7 lights, spark ignition on a gas stove, phone and
laptop charging, Cd player: everything a devotee family needs for the best
of modern life while making the transition to simpler living. This can take
a year or a generation, depending on variables,such as a nuclear war,
banking collapse, will power, or reading and taking to heart the following:
Our farm projects are an extremely important part of our movement. We
must become self-sufficient by growing our own grains and producing our
own milk, then there will be no question of poverty. So develop these farm
communities as far as possible. They should be developed as an ideal
society depending on natural products not industry. Industry has simply
created godlessness, because they think they can manufacture everything
that they need. Our Bhagavad-gita philosophy explains that men and
animals must have food in order to maintain their bodies. And the
production of food is dependent on the rain and the rain of course is
dependent on chanting Hare Krsna. Therefore let everyone chant Hare
Krsna, eat nicely and keep their bodies fit and healthy. This is ideal life style. We do not condemn modern
civilization but we don’t like to get it at the cost of God Consciousness, that is suicide.
(Letter from Srila Prabhupada to Rupanuga, Bombay 18 December, 1974)
MORE PHOTOS FROM NEW JAIPUR IN FIJI ISLANDS
ABOVE: Srila Prabhupada Guru Puja BELOW: Benjamin’s Construction, Gopal & Radharani
OUR LORD AND MASTER, SRILA PRABHUPADA, FAMED THROUGHOUT THE THREE WORLDS
“Srila Prabhupad was meeting
with a group of wealthy,
influential people in Bombay,
talking about His vision for the
future, and how important it
was to have self-sufficient
communities… I raised my
hand and when Srila
Prabhupad acknowledged, I
said… “Srila Prabhupad,
before I met you I lived in
communities with the same
focus, mostly following the
example of the Native American
people… we thought that places
like New Vrindavan would be
the only places we could survive
what was coming”… His Divine
Grace opened His eyes very
wide, turned to face me, and
said emphatically… “Say that
again!” which I did… He
pointed to each of the wealthy
guests one by one, and said
with great power, “Yes! Yes!
Yes!”” [Nanda Kumara dasa
memory]
PRABHUPADA QUOTES
Such unfair taxation makes the people dishonest, and the people try to hide their income in
so many ways. Eventually the state will not be able to collect taxes and consequently will
not be able to meet its huge military and administrative expenses. ”’Everything will
collapse, and there will be chaos and disturbance all over the state.”’
(Srila Prabhupada, Fourth Canto, Srimad Bhagwatam)
You say we must have a gosala trust, that is our real purpose. krsi-goraksya-vanijyam
vaisya karma svabhava-jam, (Bg 18.44). Where there is agriculture there must be cows.
That is our mission: Cow protection and agriculture and if there is excess, trade. This is a
no-profit scheme. For the agriculture we want to produce our own food and we want to keep
cows for our own milk. The whole idea is that we are ISKCON, a community to be
independent from outside help. This farm project is especially for the devotees to grow their
own food. Cotton also, to make their own clothes. And keeping cows for milk and fatty
products. Our mission is to protect our devotees from unnecessary heavy work to save time
for advancing in Krsna consciousness. This is our mission. So there is no question of profit,
but if easily there are surplus products, then we can think of trading. Otherwise we have no
such intention. We want a temple, a gosala and agriculture. A community project, as in
Europe and America. (Letter to Yasomatinandana – Vrindaban, 28 November, 1976 )
Therefore, for the sake of the people in general, I am requesting you to pursue this farming
life with great enthusiasm. Help people to see this traditional, natural way of living. You
must help them see how they can become happy, how they can go back to Godhead. So
advance this project — plain living, high thinking. This modern civilization is so nasty, A
nasty civilization, artificially increasing the so-called necessities of life. Anartha —
unwanted; unbeneficial “improvements.” (Conversation New Vrindaban, June 24, 1976)
Better one should be satisfied with agricultural produce than go into large cities to be
engaged in industry. Peaceful life depending on agricultural produce can bring him real
happiness and prosperity, not otherwise. The more persons will be satisfied at their home,
with home economics, not to go outside the home, that is peaceful life.
(Letter to Rayarama dasa, 17 October, 1968)
The people are innocent. The rascal leaders say it is primitive to remain on the farm, but to
do business in the city and become rogue and rascal, that is advanced. They have dog race,
horse race, gambling, coca cola, pepsi cola- all unnecessary. There is no use for it but the
business is going on. They take to cigarette and T.V. because they have no good
engagement. They are chewing the already chewed.
(Letter to Rupanuga, Ahmedabad, 29 September, 1975)
►750401mw.may Conversations
… don’t distribute. You live only, till the ground and take your food. Where is the question
of distribution? Whatever you can till, you take so much land. God has enough land. Why do
you possess more? One acre of land is sufficient for producing your food. Why do you take
more?
SUMMARY
New Jaipur is a positive alternative to the rapidly devolving situation in the modern world.
Nuclear war approaches, and humanity is due for much turmoil which can only be alleviated by
establishing Prabhupada’s varnashram Hare Krishna farms. New Jaipur Vedic Village farm
project retains Srila Prabhupada as the sole diksa guru, via rtvik representatives. We are part of
Prabhupada’s transcendental ISKCON which is situated beyond the now-corrupted original
institution. Prabhupada resides wherever his instructions are strictly followed. We have 857
acres of titled, fully-paid land in a South Seas rainforest on Fiji’s second largest island. There are
openings for qualified devotees based on Village Constitution conditions (available by email).
Interested persons, please inquire. The standard: 16 rounds daily, the four rules, 8 hours
community service a week, regular morning programs, and be a productive participant, one fifth
of production/income goes to the deities, Sri Sri Radha Govinda. Nice cottages available. Vedic
villages are the future of the world. Please consider a visit to New Jaipur, and be our guest in
paradise; this is an invitation to Prabhupadanugas everywhere. Life here is simple but not
austere. Welcome also: temporary residents who would like to further their spiritual credits may
offer assistance to the Vedic village with any skills they may have.
Yours in Prabhupada’s service,
To be added to our regular mailings of Vedic Village Reviews or make a donation, please
send us an email at srigovinda@gmail.com
. Hare Krishna! All Glories to Srila Prabhupada!
NEW JAIPUR FIJI WEBSITE www.vedicvillage.org
All previous Vedic Village Reviews are on our website, as well Srila Prabhupada memories,
project information, guru tattva, many photos and much more.
